By Aram Tolegian
Bonita pitcher Adam McCreery made his much-anticipated season debut last Saturday against Cabrillo and did not disappoint the estimated 30 scouts watching the 6-foot-8 left-hander throw for the first time because of an elbow strain that’s kept him sidelined the entire year.

By Steve Ramirez
It’s been a banner year for the St. Lucy’s Priory athletics program.
The volleyball team made history by winning the school’s first CIF-Southern Section title in the sport and the water polo team reached the division finals for the first time. The difference-maker for the Regents was senior Emily Donohoe, who proved to be a vital cog in and out of the pool. For her efforts, Donohoe was named the Tribune’s girls water polo Player of the Year. (To continue click thread).

I was rooting for Joe Amat to become the next CIF-SS Commissioner of Athletics, but the Southern Section Executive Committee selected Robert Wigod instead, which is also a very good choice. I had some “heated” discussions with Mr. Wigod in recent years, but after a few face-to-face meetings and understanding him better, he’s a good guy and works diligently to be fair. His promotion is well deserved. Wigod is currently assistant commissioner of the CIF-SS. He will become the organization’s ninth commissioner of athletics, replacing retiring commissioner, Dr. Jim Staunton. Wigod’s tenure as Commissioner begins Aug. “I am thrilled to be selected as the next Commissioner of Athletics for the CIF Southern Section,” said Wigod. “I thank President of the Council Bill Dabbs, and the entire CIF Southern Section Executive Committee, for their support and faith in me. I want to thank Commissioner Jim Staunton, who has not only been an outstanding Commissioner for our section, but an even better mentor and friend. I pledge to them, and to all of our stakeholders, my total commitment to leading this organization to the best of my ability in the time ahead.”

Boys practice times: The Tribune boys will practice at Damien High School on Wednesday and Thursday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. with Lutheran coach Eric Cooper. Players listed below can contact coach Cooper at coopdreamemail@gmail.com for more details.Girls practice times: The Tribune girls will practice at Bonita High School on Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. with Bonita coach Darren Baumunk. Players listed below can contact coach Baumunk at d.baumunk@bonita.k12.ca.us for more details.

By Steve Ramirez
WALNUT — What difference does a week make?
A lot for Covina High School’s Remontay McClain and Bishop Amat’s Kylie Price, who both rebounded from second-place finishes at last weekend’s Arcadia Invitational to score 100-meter run victories during Saturday’s Nogales/Mt. San Antonio College Relays Invitational.
McClain, the reigning 100 and 200 CIF State champion, covered the field in the 100, sprinting to a 10.66-second run, which beat his 100 rival George Famer of Serra. Farmer, who beat McClain last weekend after finishing second to the Covina senior at last year’s state meet, slowed to a 10.78. He ran a 10.62 at Arcadia last week. Diamond Ranch’s Marquise Cherry (11.22) was a respectable sixth.
McClain also won the the 200 with a season-best 21.14, and helped Covina (42.91) to a second-place finish in the 4×100 seeded relay (42.91).

Wrestler of the Year and First Team story
By Steve Ramirez
Haydn Scharbrough began the high school wrestling season as one of the top returning competitors in the area.
The Glendora senior, after winning CIF-Southern Section divisional and Masters titles and placing fourth at the CIF State championships, finished the season as the best.
For his efforts, Scharbrough, who competed at 145 pounds, is the Tribune’s Wrestler of the Year.
Scott Usher of Diamond Bar has been selected as Coach of the Year.
The All-Area first-team includes Northview’s Gilbert Nakatani (119), Javier Arellano (140), Steven Lopez (160) and Eddie Bernal (189); South Hills’ Thomas Morales (130), Trevor Behr (145) and Jeff Vargas (215); Rosemead’s Matt Fregoso (125) and Alberto Flores (135); Chino Hills’ Christian Martin (103) and Brody Goens (171); Arroyo’s Christian Betancourt (112); West Covina’s Brad Ojala (152); and Diamond Bar’s Brian Ryu (heavyweight).
Scharbrough, after being just one of two area competitors to earn CIF-SS Masters titles and topping the list of four area athletes to place among the top eight at the state meet, proved to be the best of them all.

Jumping in here for FredJ … Here’s the box score from the Del Rey League series finale between La Salle and Bishop Amat. It pretty much tells the story, but I’ll write one anyway. Just as an FYI, the story will not appear in the paper because of space issues. Think of it as a blog exclusive from yours truly.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

PASADENA — It was over before it ever began.

Well, almost.

Bishop Amat pounded La Salle with four home runs and a 14-run lead in just three innings, completing the Del Rey Leauge series sweep with a 14-1 win in five innings Friday afternoon at La Salle.

La Salle (10-6, 5-3) will have to wait until next season for a chance to earn its first ever win over Bishop Amat (14-2, 8-0) in league history. That La Salle was going to have to wait until then was made very clear from the beginning.

Bishop Amat loaded the bases in the first and Jay Anderson jumped on the first pitch for a grand slam to start the offensive explosion. Fellow senior Rio Ruiz connected for a two-run double in the second and followed it up with a three-run home run in the third to make it a rout. Ryan Serrato and Bernardo Zavala also homered for Bishop Amat.

La salle coach Harry Agajanian was clearly upset with La Salle’s inability to get up for a game despite taking Bishop Amat to nine innings before losing 3-2 earlier this week.

“It was miserable,” he said. “It was disgusting and I’m embarrassed for our team and I’m embarrassed for myself and the school on our performance today.”

Bishop Amat coach Andy Nieto said that the field dimensions paved the way for home runs.

“Maybe a couple of them hit the gap, but a few of them are definitely caught (at Bishop Amat),” he said. “It’s one of those games you hope you never get to at this park when you deal with those kind of parameters.”

Player of the year and first-team storyBy Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
The final chapter of Grant Jerrett’s career has yet to be written, but if it’s anything like the first two, the La Verne Lutheran High School basketball star will earn himself a special place in area basketball history. Jerrett, a 6-foot-9 junior forward, averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds per game this season. With him leading he way, Lutheran beat a who’s who of Southland basketball powers this season and in the process won a second consecutive state championship. For those reasons, Jerrett is the Tribune’s Player of the Year. (To continue click thread)

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
Charter Oak High School junior Travis Santiago may have a big decision to make this summer. The same kind of decision that Bishop Amat’s Jay Anderson made, opting to skip his senior season on the Lancers’ football team in order to concentrate on baseball, a sport he felt was his best opportunity of earning an athletic scholarship.
Amat junior infielder Rio Ruiz’s future is in baseball too, where he could become a 2012 Major League draft first-round pick, or opt to go to USC, where he has given a verbal commitment since his freshman year. Despite the risks, Ruiz, a quarterback on the Lancers’ football team, intends on playing football his senior year.
Santiago’s case is different, according to Charter Oak baseball coach Tom Quinley, because he’s a quarterback and pitcher. Santiago, 6-foot and 175 pounds, is one of the area’s best quarterbacks, but Quinley feels all the throwing he did during the summer and fall with the Chargers’ football team likely contributed to the sore right elbow that has kept him from pitching this season.
“That’s what the doctors say,” Quinley said of Santiago’s sore elbow. “When you throw around 75 passes in (football) practice with no caretaking to it, it takes its toll. That’s a decision (playing quarterback) he’s going to have to make. He’s a great kid and an incredible athlete. But if he wants to pitch next year, chances are he will have to make that decision.” (to continue click thread)

Bonita baseball coach John Knott said lefty Adam McCreery will make his season debut on Saturday against Long Beach Cabrillo at their home field as part of the Centennial Tournament at 11 a.m. McCreery, who hasn’t pitched while recovering from an elbow strain, has been working the bullpen the past couple weeks and feels great, according to Knott. He will likely go only two innings or 30 pitches on Saturday. “In the last few days I’ve had about 20 (Major League) scouts call or email asking when he was going to throw. We think the time is right to get him some work and we will see how it goes from there. Adam has a future beyond Bonita. We realize that and want to be as extra careful as we can. Adam really wants to be back, but we need to take it one step at a time.”

Girls player of the year and first team storyBy Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
There really isn’t anything Taylor Anderson can’t do on the basketball court. Bring the ball up, no problem. Guard the other team’s best scorer, no problem. Play inside or out, on both ends of the court, no problem. The stat sheet never lied when it came to Anderson. If she wasn’t leading Bonita High School’s girls basketball team in scoring, she was leading it in rebounds. If she didn’t have many assists, then she had a few steals. It all added up to a banner senior season that saw Anderson help Bonita finish 30-4, win the Hacienda League, reach the CIF-Southern Section Division 3A championship game, and advance three rounds in the state playoffs.
For those reasons, Anderson is the Tribune’s girls basketball player of the year.
“I’m honored, really,” Anderson said. “I didn’t think about it all season, then my coach told me and I was like ‘Wow, this is big.’ I’m just honored.” (To continue reading and to read coach of the year story, click thread).

Baseball result:Bonita hammered West Covina 10-1 by scoring nine runs in the sixth, punctuated by Robert Mier’s grand slam.

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
With three straight shutouts and the number one ranking in the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 poll, Bonita High School softball coach Ken Carlson still had his fears visiting unranked West Covina on Wednesday.
“I told our (coaching staff) this is the one team in our league that really makes me nervous,” Carlson said. “They’re an unpredictable bunch than can explode at any time.”
West Covina certainly didn’t back down, making Bonita work for a come-from-behind 8-5 victory that left the Bearcats (15-2, 3-0) in sole possession of first in the Hacienda League with the Bulldogs (11-6, 3-1) suffering their first league loss. (To continue click thread)

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